Colorado is fortunate in that you can enjoy a soak in the hot tub with your friends and family pretty much any time of the year. But what happens when your hot tub is on the fritz? Just like with any other piece of complex equipment, mechanical or system failures can happen, especially if your hot tub gets a lot of use or is over a certain age. This doesn’t have to mean the party’s over, however — Mountain Mist Pool and Spa in Longmont has you covered! Use this troubleshooting guide to see if you can pinpoint some of the most common hot tub issues that affect hot tub enthusiasts. If it’s an issue that you can easily fix — great! For everything else, we offer fast, friendly, and affordable hot tub repair services in Longmont, Loveland, and the surrounding areas. 

Signals of Heater Failure

This common hot tub problem is fairly straightforward and easy to determine. Basically, if your hot tub is more of a “warm tub,” it’s likely that your hot tub’s heating system is malfunctioning. This is often caused by corrosion to the heating element as a result of improper water chemical balancing. When your water has too low of a pH level, it can cause damage to the heating element over an extended period of time, even causing the hot tub’s circuits to trip for safety reasons. If your hot tub is failing to put out the desired level of heat, it’s time to investigate the heating elements, as well as the thermostat and damage to the filter. 

Telltale Signs of a Clogged Filter

Speaking of the filter, it is another common culprit for a hot tub’s sub-par performance. If you’ve begun to notice that the flow of water throughout your hot tub is slowing down and that your jets aren’t pumping out the water pressure that they used to, it’s likely that the water filter is the cause. Your hot tub’s filter can become clogged from an excess of dirt and residue, making it more difficult for water to pass through it effectively. Thankfully, this can usually be prevented with routine maintenance by regularly cleaning your filter. This is important to keep your hot tub in proper working order! It’s also worth noting that when a filter is clogged, it’s not doing its job properly — which means you might be soaking in unfiltered water. In addition to being generally icky, excess contaminants can also damage your hot tub’s pump over time.

Troublesome Air Lock

If you recently drained your hot tub either for a season or for cleaning, only to discover that no water is flowing through the jets when you refill it, you may be experiencing what is known as “air lock.” This happens when air becomes trapped in the inner workings of your hot tub, preventing the proper flow of water. While irritating, there is typically an easy fix for air lock. 

To release the trapped air, open your jets all the way and let them run on high for about 10 to 15 seconds, repeating the process until you begin to see bubbles coming from the jets. Once you begin to see bubbles, leave the jets running until all of the trapped air has been released. If this doesn’t seem to be working, you can also try to slowly loosen the nut that connects your hot tub’s plumbing to the motor. This allows any trapped air to slowly be released. Once you begin to notice water leaking from the spot you’ve loosened, that means you’ve released all of the trapped air from the pump, and your jets should be functioning normally. 

Excessively Noisy Pump

A gentle hum is normal for a hot tub. However, if you notice that your pump has recently gotten much louder, it’s an indication that it may be malfunctioning. The noise you’re hearing is likely the motor’s bearings beginning to fail. The sooner you can schedule maintenance for such an issue, the better, as you’ll reduce the damage done to your motor. 

Tripped Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Breaker

The breakers in your hot tub are designed to automatically trip for safety reasons when they detect faults that could cause electrocution. If your breakers keep tripping, it’s likely due to a problem with the pump, Ozonator, or blower. A technician can help you determine which one is causing the problem and replace the damaged component. 

Get Hot Tub Maintenance in Longmont Today!

For any issues you can’t resolve yourself, please contact Mountain Mist for fast and friendly service in Longmont and Loveland! We’ll get the party restarted quickly for you.

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